Friday, September 25, 2020 7 Brooklin Town Crier Plant-Based Eating by Sheree Nicholson 10 years later... This month, I celebrate 10 years being entirely plant-based. What started as a 21 day challenge has become a lifestyle. Being plant-based has opened many new doors for me, and I have really enjoyed writing columns and speaking on this topic at Farm Boy and other local businesses. Over these years, the question I'm asked most often is, "How do you get your protein?" Protein comes from various sources, the most apparent being meat. But most plants contain varying levels of protein. If you eat a wide variety of foods, it's easy to get enough protein. I have no problem fueling my active lifestyle on a plant-based diet. There's a high interest in plant- based eating right now, so here are some ways to replace meat with plant-based sources. Whether you want to fully eliminate meat from your diet or just cut back on meat, it's easier and tastier than you might think. Lentils: 18 grams of protein per cup. Use instead of ground beef in spaghetti sauces, tacos or chilis. Green lentils are the best for this as they hold their shape well. Chickpeas: 14.5 grams of protein in a cup. These versatile legumes can be blended into hummus for use in sandwiches. They can be mashed, mixed with vegan mayonnaise and used as a replacement for tuna salad in sandwiches. They are tasty as a salad topping or roasted as a snack. My favourite use for chickpeas is in falafels, which are quick and easy to make. Black beans: 15.2 grams of protein in a cup. These starchy beans hold together well so they're perfect for veggie burgers. They also can be spiced and heated to use as a topping in rice bowls or as the protein in burritos. Quinoa: 8.14 grams of protein in a cup. This versatile seed can be used instead of rice as the base for dinner bowls. Use quinoa in salads or even as an oatmeal replacement. Quinoa is considered a complete protein source, which means it provides all the essential amino acids. Seeds: Add hemp, chia or ground flax seeds (meal) to oatmeal, smoothies or on top of sugar-free coconut yogurt. They are virtually tasteless and give you an extra protein boost. Hemp seeds, for example, provide about 11 grams of protein in 2 to 3 tablespoons. They are considered a complete protein source, which means they provide all the essential amino acids. Meat Substitutes: There are lots of great meat replacements on the market. Keep in mind some of them are high in fat or full of chemicals. Like any commercially produced food, eat them in moderation. Don't expect them to taste like meat; they don't. Instead, enjoy their unique flavours. The Beyond Beef burger, for example, has 20 grams of protein in a burger. Sheree's Hack: Keep a package of frozen veggies burgers in your freezer for those nights you're super stressed or busy. They come in handy. CityStudio Durham Connecting To The Future Residents are invited to take part in a new four-part webinar series aimed at increasing community awareness, understanding and education on topics of diversity, equity and inclusion, including anti-Black racism. The first webinar of the series - "Addressing Anti-Black Racism - An Introductory Discussion" - will take place on Tuesday, September 29 and will feature Allison Hector Alexander, the Director of Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Transitions at Durham College. During the session, Allison will discuss anti-black racism and share insights on how to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion in the community. "As a Town, we are committed to working with our Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee and our residents to support a safe and inclusive town for all," said Mayor Don Mitchell. "This new series is yet one more way that we are delivering on that commitment and I encourage residents to take part." Here's how and when residents can take part: What: Addressing Anti-Black Racism - An Introductory Discussion When: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 - 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Where: WebEx virtual live stream How: Pre-register for the webinar online at whitby.ca/diversity There will be three additional webinars hosted by the Town's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC) between November, 2020, and April, 2021, on different subjects that support diversity and inclusion education. Learn more at whitby.ca/diversity. Webinar Series On Anti Black Racism The Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham Regional Police Service, Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University Durham GTA have partnered to launch CityStudio Durham, an experiential education and civic engagement model that is developing tomorrow's leaders by bringing municipal government to the classroom. Through CityStudio Durham, local post-secondary students will apply their skills, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit to real-world community projects, helping to shape a better future for Durham. Matching students with projects The CityStudio model, which was co-founded in 2011 by Simon Fraser University and the City of Vancouver, is an institutional partnership framework for civic governments and post-secondary institutions to work together at the strategic level. It operates as a matchmaker and lab for municipal employees, faculty, students, and researchers to develop civic experiments, prototypes, and engagement projects. A growing number of cities across Canada and the world have adopted or been inspired by the CityStudio model including 10 municipalities in Canada, as well as cities in Australia and Norway. Durham Region's post-secondary schools are already recognized for their academic programs; shaped by research and leading-edge thinking. The CityStudio model will bring this expertise and student-thinking to community projects in areas as varied as wastewater infrastructure, municipal planning, long-term care, social housing, and climate change. One of twelve projects already underway is the detection of COVID-19 in wastewater. This project will sample wastewater from multiple processing facilities in Durham Region to identify the presence of COVID-19 and direct where to focus testing resources, providing a potential early warning of where virus outbreaks are occurring. Create partnerships Projects are identified and developed by municipal staff, then matched with programs and courses at local post-secondary institutions. This can take the form of class projects, applied research, and field placements, among other formats. Municipal employees, students and faculty members from partner schools, and the local community, will work together to develop new ideas and co-create innovative solutions to the challenges facing our community. Final projects will then be launched in the community by students as experiments or pilot tests. Projects open for collaboration are posted three times a year on the CityStudio web portal, available at durham.ca/CityStudio. Faculty and staff can indicate their interest in a specific project by completing CityStudio Durham's Collaborate with us form. If members of the community have project ideas that we should consider, please send them to citystudiodurham@ durham.ca.